The first Blankenberge flower parade dates back to 1895, right in the middle of the blooming period of the belle époque, when the well-to-do citizenry spent their summer holidays in Blankenberge. The seaside town had a loyal summer audience and brought about innovative initiatives to entertain the bathers. A festive committee 'Blankenberghe-Fêtes' drew up a summer programme with attractions and festivities, including a 'Corso Fleuri' or flower parade, organised for the first time on 31 August 1895. The first flower parade took place on the Pier. Participation was restricted to children with decorated and flowered carts, wheelbarrows, buckets, spades and hoops and to ladies and misses with flowered awnings who had made a flower arrangement for a jury. The success of the first flower parade was an encouragement to continue with this initiative.
The following year, the 'Corso Fleuri' already had all the ingredients of the later parades: children in costume throwing flowers, colourfully dressed groups, large and small flower floats pulled by children or horses, flowered bicycles, decorated horses, ponies and bands. From then on, the Zeedijk with its splendid villas became the setting for this annual summer event. The flower parade, which started as a children's party on the Pier, quickly grew into a top event that drew many spectators to the old fishing town. Year after year, the flower parade grew into a beautiful and attractive spectacle that was highly appreciated.
The post-war flower processions also traditionally consisted of a diversity of ideas, sprung from the imagination and creativity of the participants, which were always depicted in a 'flowery' way. From the 1970s onwards, the direction was taken up professionally and work began to focus on themes. Partly thanks to the large financial contribution of the city council, a continuous renewal and the efforts of many people, the Blankenberge flower parade remains a tasteful, colourful and worthwhile spectacle.